10 Years of igm-gäsi – An Association Is in Luck

On Saturday, November 27, the Model Aircraft Enthusiasts’ Association celebrated the 10th anniversary of its flying field in Gäsi—across from the pig farm—at the beautiful clubhouse of the Harmoniemusik Netstal. The approximately 40 members and their families were treated to a delicious meal prepared under the guidance of the Steinegger family’s culinary expertise, down to the last detail and strand of spaghetti.

Thanks to the good relations with the neighbors and the cooperation of the tenant, the canton, and the municipality, the model aviators have enjoyed a great flying field for the past 10 years. Thanks to several investments—such as a lawn mower, a safety fence, and a canopy—model flying operations run safely and smoothly. Despite a few instances of damage to models, flying operations have continued without issues to this day, thanks to the safety plan and the discipline of the model pilots.

A positive trend has been noticeable in the model flying hobby for a few years now: Combustion engines—which, despite good soundproofing, are sometimes impossible to ignore—are gradually disappearing and are being replaced by very quiet electric motors thanks to advances in propulsion and battery technology. Only a small handful of die-hard model aviators still fly combustion-engine models; the majority of the model flying group has already switched to electric flight. The latest developments in radio control systems also suddenly offer a tremendous level of safety; thanks to new transmission technology, it is theoretically possible to control dozens of models simultaneously without mutual interference.

The model aviators at igm-gaesi continue to strive for good relations with neighbors, authorities, and passersby and hope for smooth and satisfying model flying operations. We are happy to provide information and support to beginners and those who are curious.

Distinguished guests of honor, my beloved wives and girlfriends, and my dear fellow model airplane enthusiasts!

I am deliberately not calling you “dear model airplane enthusiasts,” because after this speech, I’m pretty sure I won’t be a good friend to everyone anymore.

But let me first introduce myself: As my outfit suggests, I belong to the green wing of the politically active segment of the population; yes, I plead guilty to standing on the extremely green side of the political spectrum, and above all, I am committed with all my strength to the preservation of healthy flora and fauna. Probably none of you know me personally by name. But I’m sure you’ve all seen me at least once—not that you’ve consciously registered it, but your guilty conscience has unconsciously pushed me out of your memory.

I’m often near your airfield, especially when flights are taking off and landing. The reason you don’t recognize me is that I take on various forms:

Sometimes I’m a sporty cyclist in biking gear; now and then, I’m a mother pulling one or two children behind her in a bike trailer. In between, I’m also a lone walker or—at most—a jogger. You’ll often see me riding by on horseback, too. Every now and then, I’ll also circle above your heads as a paraglider or hang glider pilot. Rarely, I’ll also be sitting on a tractor, disguised as a farmhand, rattling by—even when I don’t actually have any work to do in the fields. This gives me plenty of opportunity to glance over at you

. The fact that I don’t reveal myself to you is part of my strategy: You should realize that you can’t indulge in your hobby unsupervised. One of my favorite vantage points is the pig farm, where I pretend to be a busy worker and—basking in the lovely scent—watch what you’re doing.

I myself have made it my primary mission to ensure that plants, animals, and people can thrive in peace and undisturbed. Grasses, flowers, bushes, and trees should grow in peace. Worms, weasels, moles, and birds should find an intact and undisturbed habitat, and people seeking relaxation should not be disturbed by senseless activities.

I stand for this and fight for it with all my strength. That is why I also hope that your model airfield will one day have to be abandoned.

After this encouraging introduction, I’d like to turn to my main concern. You can surely imagine how I felt when the model aircraft operations began! I, and the natural world under my care, were completely caught off guard: The model aircraft operations, which harm the environment, have had—and continue to have—drastic consequences: the flowers let their blooms droop and struggle to draw water from the ground as soon as a model aircraft buzzes overhead. The moles have decided, with a heavy heart, to dig their tunnels one level deeper, which means a tremendous amount of extra work. The smaller songbirds fled their nesting sites in a panic; I was only able to persuade the seagulls to soil benches and chairs here and there to make life miserable for the model airplane enthusiasts.

It also seems to me that the exhaust fumes have a negative impact on the well-being of grass, shrubs, and trees. Fortunately, the pilots caused quite a few crashes. And every accident fueled my hope for a catastrophic disaster that would put an end to all this commotion. But you model airplane enthusiasts have been incredibly lucky so far: The crashes occurred without causing major damage to wildlife, people, or plants. Then, unfortunately,

electric motors began to replace the much noisier combustion engines—thereby reducing noise pollution—my hope for a premature end to the model airfield faded. To my chagrin, I must also admit that flying discipline is quite good, so it’s highly unlikely that a delta-wing glider would be shot down by a model airplane. Despite electric flight and discipline, however, a

a trend has taken hold that has reignited my hopes. With a touch of schadenfreude, I’ve noticed that the size of some model airplanes has become excessive, and they’ve grown heavier and faster as a result. This has also put a strain on the limited airspace, and I’m hoping for an incident involving traffic on the nearby highway or for massive damage to fields or

. I have also watched with satisfaction as large models have crashed right next to prized cows; on one occasion, a person was even forced to make a life-saving dive to avoid a model. If this trend toward ever-larger and faster models continues, the day is not far off for me when an out-of-control model will have devastating consequences—which I, for myself and my long-suffering natural environment, will very much welcome.

Unfortunately—for me—there are still enough model airplane enthusiasts who obviously want to take care of their flying area and who, regrettably, advocate for common sense, restrictions on flight space with modest models, and more discipline. Should this clique gain the upper hand within the club, I see my hopes fading that the field will have to be abandoned for safety reasons. Nevertheless, I will continue the fight for an undisturbed natural environment.

Please understand that, following this attack on your hobby, I wish to remain anonymous. After all, I’ve now revealed myself just enough to make you more aware of my presence. That should be enough for now!

Green Heinrich